Home > Consumer Reviews > Apple Remote Control for iPod (White)

We have owned our Apple TV for a little over a year now and are absolutely in love with it!!! Unfortunately in order to use an Apple TV you must also use this crappy little white remote that only seems to last for a month before it stops working all together. At first we thought that it might be the battery, nope. So we thought that it was a bad remote, so we ordered a new one. Long story short, here we are 6 replacement remotes later and I'm now ordering number 7. Apple should really rethink their design and opt for a pricier but more durable remote. However we have found that the Ipod touch remote feature works beautifully!

The apple remote is great and capable of doing many things including controlling Front Row (primary function), Keynote presentations, iTunes, iPhotos etc. and you can also use to to put your machine to sleep or wake it up. One of the features I like about this remote is, you can pair up the remote with that computer, which means that no other remote control can control your machine. You don't want others to keep controlling your computer(keep activating keynote or changing volumes) while you are doing something on your mac in a coffeehouse, airport, parks etc. You can also use third party applications that can increase the remote functionality, I have not tried anything yet but there are tons of articles posted on blogs and forums. One good thing, it works with VLC out of the box (needed a patch before), I love that feature. It definitely will make life easier with or without third party application.

Ideally I would have loved to see the remote as a part of macbooks (macbook pro in my case). It used to be that every new macs used to be shipped with this remote, now they charge extra $19.00 or so. Macs are expensive, but not necessarily overpriced. I wonder if I had got a PC (i have been a long time linux user before switching to mac) I would by now complaining about several thing, but my macbook pro indeed is a pro. And you just can't beat the operating system, may be some linux can come close to this but not micro$oft. I am saying all this because by including the remote with the macs, apple could have given the extra touch to all its customers instead of making them buy this later.

White v. the Aluminum: Well to go with my macbook, aluminum would have been great but again that think looks so long and the functionality I guess is almost the same, just change in aesthetics (do some research about this, do not take my word). I had been looking for the remote and found a steal on ebay, $1.99 for a new remote plus S&H. Yes New! Guess who was extremely happy that day? I have had this remote for two days now, still learning things about it (did you know that you can check your battery status by opening Photobooth and pointing the remote to it. You will see indicator to see the battery level, remember its a infrared remote).

After I hit the bed and turn off the lights, I can control my medias or can just put my mac to sleep without having to get out of my warm bed in this wintery weather. I like it, five stars.

adequate remote but does not work on power point presentations - which is a real bummer.

My original white Apple remote, which was delivered with my iMac, works with everything on both my iMac and my Mac-mini. The white remote which was delivered to me by the Amazon third-party seller does not work with everything. Specifically, it does not work with the Pinnacle PCTV 80e HDTV tuner device that I use on my iMac.

It DOES work with the Hauppauge HDTV tuner device that I use on my Mac-mini in another room. So I just switched the remotes. The new remote also works with iTunes and FrontRow, so the problem may be limited to a very specific situation.

My problem is solved but I wanted others to be aware of an issue with this remote from a specific reseller and the commonly used Pinnacle PCTV 80e TV tuner device (aka, Pinnacle mini-tuner for Mac).

It's impossible to tell the remotes apart, as they have the exact same printing on the back.

I really like this product.

The remote works within 20-30 feet or so, i don't know for sure?
- I know this product has a magnet that allows you to place it on the top Left/Right of the screen (on the magnet that keeps the macbook closed) very cool and i didn't know that before i got it.

BUT...

What i do know is that it does not go through walls !!! this i don't like. I believe this technology exists today and would like this so that i can change songs and slides when my labtop is in a different room or when i am outside.